Myeloma Progression Stalls in the Face of Dietary Changes and Increased Oxygen to the Body’s Cells.

John is feeling healthy and energetic with his hyperbaric sessions

John, now 68 years of age, was first suspected of having a blood abnormality in June 2015 after a pre-op blood test, for a hip replacement. John says “The only symptoms, which had been appearing for approximately 18 months were small subcutaneous haemorrhages, randomly appearing around my neck and eyes. I only noticed these when looking in the mirror or when my wife pointed them out. I thought it might be my blood pressure tablets and/or Statins, as the symptom occurred in the same time frame as commencing these medications”.

“Smouldering Multiple Myeloma was first mentioned at my December 2015 appointment at Wellington Blood Cancer Centre, after further blood tests and a bone marrow biopsy” says John. Myeloma, also known as Multiple Myeloma or Plasma Cell Myeloma is a cancer of plasma cells (mature B-lymphocytes) that usually arises in the bone marrow; it can cause tumours, which may occur in the bone marrow and/or on the surface of bones throughout the body. Under normal conditions, plasma cells produce antibodies that help protect the body from infection and disease. As myeloma cells multiply, they crowd the bone marrow and prevent it from making normal numbers of red cells, white cells and platelets. Myeloma cells can also interfere with the production of normal antibodies making the person more susceptible to disease and infection.

At his appointment, John’s specialist stated “His serum free light chain ratio is just greater than 100, which does categorise him at an increased risk of progression. At this stage he has a diagnosis of smouldering Myeloma, but I will arrange an MRI scan of his spine and pelvis to exclude lytic lesions which would be an indication of treatment”.

The hard chamber is cosy but comfortable. A technician is there to help you.

John’s MRI was normal, but the specialist could not explain the lesions on his neck and face.

“After my diagnosis and being told to do nothing by my Cancer Specialist” says John. “I thought that I should look at what would be sensible to do. I had already cut back food volume and alcohol intake with some success”. John started taking supplements thought to be beneficial to cancer patients, he started weekly Pilates classes and took a 30-minute walk before breakfast 3-4 times a week.​While visiting his osteopath for a sore shoulder in April 2016 John found out about Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT). “I then read about the decades of research summarising the benefits of HBOT. This led me to think that it was worth trying” says John.

You can read, sleep or listen to music in the chamber, its relaxing

HBOT treatment is received while lying in a mild HBOT chamber. It provides up to 1.5ATA in pressure, which is like being 5m under the sea. A powerful 10 litre oxygen concentrator is used to provide 93% oxygen through a mask/cannula for oxygen delivery in the chamber. Under normal circumstances, oxygen is transported throughout the body only by red blood cells and a very small amount in plasma.

With HBOT, oxygen is dissolved into all the body's fluids, the plasma, the central nervous system fluids, the lymph, and the bone. It can be carried to areas where circulation is diminished or blocked. In this way, extra oxygen can reach all the damaged tissues and the body can support its own healing process. The increased oxygen greatly enhances the ability of white blood cells to kill bacteria [4]. Recent studies have shown that HBOT can induce cell apoptosis (cell death) of B-Myeloma cancer cells [1]. HBOT has also been shown to reduce swelling and stimulate neovascularisation and angiogenesis [2].

Oxygenated red blood cells and the surrounding fluid

John began mild Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (mHBOT) at City Hyperbaric in Central Wellington in May 2016, beginning with 40 x 60-minute sessions, which he completed in mid-August 2016 (with a 2-week holiday after 30 sessions). “I was a little concerned about lying enclosed in a cylinder” says John, “but found that any discomfort soon disappeared. I felt an immediate positive effect after starting mHBOT treatment. After about 10 sessions I had noticeably more energy, a spring in my step and less joint pain. The mHBOT technicians commented on how well I was walking and getting in and out of the chamber.

​After about 20 sessions I noticed that, even though it was taking 1.5 hrs out of my working day, being self-employed, I was very productive and was invoicing at least as much as before starting treatment and I was also feeling less stressed. After a few weeks without treatment (despite still feeling well) I decided that it would be beneficial to continue treatment 2 times per week to maintain the positive effects. My current energy levels, joint pain, skin condition and general feeling of wellbeing are all very good despite working solidly in a very active construction industry”.​John continued with follow up visits to the specialist every three months with six monthly formal reviews. His doctors said that his Multiple Myeloma is still slumbering and stable, they told him it may never change but, if it does there is no current cure and it is very painful and fatal. ​

​John’s blood test results appear to have remained stable or even improved since starting mHBOT treatment in May 2016.In May 2017 Wellington Hospital Consultant haematologist stated that “John is well, he is asymptomatic. His blood tests are stable and in fact his paraprotein is slightly less. He has no evidence of progression”.Recently, John said, “my ‘bloods’ have improved slightly, and I received a favourable report on Monday this week from my specialist that as time goes by, the chances of my Myeloma changing from ‘slumbering’ to full blown is increasingly less likely.​So, I think it is fair to say that there has been some improvement, which the cancer specialist said was not usual”.John states “I believe if I continue to receive mHBOT treatment and look after my general health with diet and exercise, I have a great chance of maintaining my current healthy state with plenty of energy for my business and private life".

​John says "I recommend mHBOT treatment to everyone but especially to people who have been diagnosed with untreatable cancer, aching joints, low energy levels, stress, panic attacks and who have had major joint replacement surgery. Anyone over 60 years old would benefit. I find the treatment to be a very tranquil and peaceful experience during which I can meditate or read. Hyperbaric oxygen treatment has certainly given me a greater feeling of wellbeing and inner calm”.

City Hyperbaric would like you to please note, patient results may differ. We can guarantee we will give you our full attention and provide individual professional advice and a quality service, but cannot guarantee that you will have the same outcome as this case study.

All patients wanting to have mild Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy must have an initial HBOT medical with one of our trained practitioners to determine the best course of treatment for them.

​Many more people are realising the downsides of excessive alcohol or sugar intake to try to mask the feelings of stress and are looking for healthy options to help them relax and feel good. Gentle hands on treatment has been shown to be very effective in improving the parasympathetic nervous system response (ie the vagus nerve) and reducing the 'fright/fight and flight' response. This makes you feel grounded, relaxed, calm and happier than usual.

At City Osteopaths Healthcare we have osteopaths, acupuncturists, massage therapists, naturopaths and counselling available. We have many ways of approaching stress and helping your body back to health.

​HBOT for CRPSHow does Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy relate to CRPS? Is it possible to successfully treat CRPS patients with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?

In this article we will explore this exciting new area of treatment for CRPS patients and present the latest information, articles, studies, etc. and help you make an informed decision.

HYPERBARIC OXYGEN THERAPY – HBOT

“Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (abbreviated HBOT) is a medical treatment that uses high concentrations of oxygen to speed and enhance the body’s natural ability to heal.” “During therapy, the patient breathes 93% oxygen under increased atmospheric pressure. (The air we normally breathe contains only 19-21% of this essential element.) The concentration of oxygen normally dissolved in the bloodstream is thus raised many times above normal (up to 7 times). In addition to the blood, all body fluids including the lymph and cerebrospinal fluids are infused with the healing benefits of this molecular oxygen. It can reach bone and tissues which are inaccessible to red blood cells, enhance white blood cell function, and promote the formation of new capillary and peripheral blood vessels. This results in increased infection control and faster healing of a wide range of conditions.”

As Doctor Allan Spiegel of National Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy discusses on his website, “Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy has proven itself to be a very viable option to treat reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD). Numerous articles in the medical literature have shown the reduction in pain and swelling associated with RSD and a return of function using hyperbaric oxygen. Best of all for CRPS patients, this is accomplished without the need for painful injections, narcotics, or surgical implants for pain management.

Most RSD sufferers find that following the first few treatments they are able to achieve a full night’s sleep for the first time in years. They then notice the decreased need for narcotics, improved thinking, with a diminished depression. The swelling of the effected arm or leg associated with RSD diminishes and they are able to start physical therapy with marked improvement in muscle strength. Many people afflicted with CRPS have then been able to return to a happier and more productive life, frequently returning to their prior occupation.

This is an unusual case study as the child who fell is my daughter. I was able to assess and treat her immediately. If your child falls and hits their head it is important to go immediately to your GP or Accident and Emergency for concussion/TBI assessment. Then once their condition is stable you may like to look at complementary treatment options.​A Brief Case Study:

Seven year old girl fell 3.5 metres vertically onto her head in the April school holidays

Said she felt ‘sleepy’ at first (then yelled and cried loudly)

Osteopathic assessment took place less than five minutes after the injury. The whole top of her head felt very slightly depressed and her cervical spine was side-bent to the left and locked.

Neurologically all tests appeared clear.

Gentle treatment of the neck and head to assist normal range of motion and function of the membranous tissue of her cranium resulted in her feeling ‘fine’.

She was running around happy so there was no indication that she needed a CT scan.

However, two hours later during a walk up a hill she had a headache, so we suspected concussion and she went in the mild Hyperbaric Oxygen chamber. This works by reducing the oedema in the brain tissues and also supplies 5-7 times the usual amount of oxygen to the mitochondria of the neurones which enables more of them to start firing again. This quickly cleared the headache during the session.

She also had some symptoms involving feeling unusual anger and fatigue, also indicating a concussion

Daily osteopathic and mild hyperbaric oxygen sessions for the next three days kept her feeling symptom free and six days after her fall she won her school’s year 3 and 4 cross country trial, even against the boys!

​She has continued to be well now, one year on in April 2017.

This is the seven year old who was concussed, winning her years cross country race.

City Osteopaths and City Hyperbaric are well placed to help people of all ages, in conjunction with their concussion healthcare team. Our Reg Osteopaths are able to gently treat any neck, shoulder and back strains that may have occurred and the hyperbaric oxygen therapy reduces brain oedema or swelling and provides the extra oxygen required by injured brain tissue to help the mitochondria to make the energy required to heal damaged or dormant tissue and help restore function.

Ideally, as in this case, we are able to treat the neck injury and concussion as soon as possible after medical assessment after the accident. We like to work in with the concussion care team to help your child make a full recovery. If the concussion occurred many years before it is probably going to take longer to improve or resolve.

Below is some research for the use of Hyperbaric Oxygen in concussion for children:

“Role of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Severe Head Injury in Children” —Journal of Pediatric Neuroscience. 2012 Jan-April 7(1) 4-8 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3401652/Conclusion: In children with traumatic brain injury, the addition of HBOT significantly improved outcome and quality of life and reduced risk of complications. Patients receiving HBOT were significantly better than the control group with decreased hospital stay, better Glasgow Coma Scale and drastic reduction in disability.

“Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy can improve Post Concussion Syndrome years after Mild Traumatic Brain Injury – Randomised Prospective Trial” www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24260334—PLoS One November 2013 10.137/journal.pone 0079995Conclusion: Convincing results based on a crossover study, demonstrating that HBOT can induce neuroplasticity and significant brain function improvement in mild TBI patients with prolonged Post-Concussion-Syndrome at late chronic stage, years after injury.The findings here bear the promises that HBOT can be effective in treating other brain impairments like PTSD or repairing radiation damage. It is reasonable to expect that HBOT can help slow down or even reverse metabolic disorders associated with neurodegenerative diseases.

"At around 9 years old I had a head injury with concussion from an accident that left me with trauma symptoms."

This person came in to us at City Hyperbaric in Wellington, to see if Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy may be able to help her recover her health after many years of difficulty. This is her story which she kindly wrote down to help others learn more about what it can do.​"In the last decade I have lived with considerable stress and anxiety ...Now in my mid 50’s I have been noticing the impact of this on my physiology...symptoms just as adrenal fatigue, poor digestion, tendency to constipate, shallow breathing and decline in short term memory. I am a single parent and my budget is extreme ..however with the sense that my health was deteriorating I decided to invest in a series of sessions of mild hyperbaric oxygen .

The chamber room at City Hyperbaric

I had daily sessions for 12 days (minus Sundays) The first was a little uncomfortable for my ears, so I was guided through this and time was taken to gently equalise to the pressure... this discomfort rapidly decreased so by the 3rd session there was no sensation of pain during the equalising process.After the first session I felt somewhat tired however slept deeper than usual that night. I used my time in the hyperbaric chamber to rest in a meditative way trusting the oxygen would stimulate healing in my system. It had the quality of a sacred space!By the second session my constipation was alleviated and during the fortnight I had text book perfect bowel movements! It is now 8 weeks later and I have continued to have a daily or twice daily movement ...this is remarkable given over 4 decades of sluggish bowel. ​

During the period of receiving the oxygen I noticed my breathing dramatically improve..with the breath going right down into the lower and back area of my lungs..this was wonderful to experience and has remained with me. I don’t believe I will ever lose this awareness now. There was an internal sensation hard to describe...the image I had was of my cells plumping up especially in my face and in the cheeks. Many friends commented how well I looked ...and this sense of inner wellness has remained despite there being many challenges these last 2 months since my sessions.

​

Red blood cells and blood plasma highly saturated with oxygen

Before the treatment I had some fear in my life around memory loss... and now I have almost forgotten I had such a fear!! I still am experiencing anxiety ...however have started a programme to retrain the Amygdala’s response to stress. I believe the hyperbaric sessions enabled me to have the energy to start this programme that will turn that deep seated pattern and stress loop around.

After my final hyperbaric session I received a Cranial Osteopathy session and we focused on the head injury. I received what had been a missing experience for me as a child at the time of the concussion ; that of receiving deep compassion and the injury acknowledged . I believe my system needed that quality and skill of holding to heal such a childhood trauma. I also believe that shift occurred in my structure so effortlessly because of the oxygen therapy.

Gentle treatment supporting the membranes of the brain and head to help ease trauma

Lastly having the series of sessions has become a resource in my memory bank... when I imagine the experience of receiving the oxygen, it automatically brings me back to joy and wellbeing.

It did what I hoped, giving me a paradigm shift and huge lift in my healing journey. It also cleared a trauma I had carried for over 45 years.

Thank you City Osteopaths and City Hyperbaric for providing this wonderful therapy. I hope many people transform their health through access to the hyperbaric chamber."

Posted with permission from and thanks to Frances A. Wellington September 2016

“Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy can improve Post Concussion Syndrome years after Mild Traumatic Brain Injury – Randomised Prospective Trial” www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24260334—PLoS One November 2013 10.137/journal.pone 0079995Conclusion: Convincing results based on a crossover study, demonstrating that HBOT can induce neuroplasticity and significant brain function improvement in mild TBI patients with prolonged Post-Concussion-Syndrome at late chronic stage, years after injury.The findings here bear the promises that HBOT can be effective in treating other brain impairments like PTSD or repairing radiation damage. It is reasonable to expect that HBOT can help slow down or even reverse metabolic disorders associated with neurodegenerative diseases.

​For more information please see www.cityhyperbaric.co.nzGive us a call on 04 4991439 and speak with our front desk staff to make an appointment for your Hyperbaric Medical and first Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy session